Chapter1: The Arrival

"Wherever you go, you always take yourself with you." -proverb



Driving into Roswell was like driving through a time machine. The place looked exactly the same. Maria paused in front of the CrashDown Café, but she didn't stop she didn't think she was up for the big reunion. She needed rest, she needed to get to get the girls into beds, especially Lexi or she would be cranky in the morning. Maria pulled up to the nicest hotel in town, she went into pay thankful that nobody she knew was in there. They had room 67, it was on the first floor, which was good if you had to carry four kids to the room. She went to unlock the door and turn down the beds. Then she went to get the girls. She did the hardest first, opening the back door she whispered in Paige's ear.



"Paige it's me. I'm going to pick you up now. It's okay its Mommy." If Maria didn't let Paige know that she was going to touch her before she did it, then she would fly off the handle and start swinging. It was a reflex from when Joe had been around. A sign of four years of abuse. After putting Paige on the bed that she would be sharing with Zoe she went to get Zoe. She did the same thing whispering the whole time she handled the young child. Once Zoe was in bed she went back out to the car. It was no surprise that Katie was still awake. She slept in intervals, never sleeping more than three hours at a time. Maria told Katie to stay with Lexi while she slipped into the hotel room and set up the collapsible crib. She went back out and got Lexi and put her in the bed and then she and Kate went out and got the bags from the car. Two hours later she tucked Kate back into bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed she smoothed her blonde hair behind Kate's ear.



"Time to go back to sleep, morning comes early in New Mexico." Maria smiled at the little girl.



Kate reached up and played with a curl of Maria's hair. She was tired again.

"Aunt Maria, is daddy going to come and find us again." Kate asked. The fear shown in her eyes. For the two weeks after Christopher died and until Joe had officially been charged Maria and the girls had ben constantly on the run. Every time they turned around Joe was there taunting them. Letting them know he was always one step ahead. He had finally been taken into custody when he snatched Kate in Clarksville.



"It's okay baby, I promise. He wont be it the position to contact us for a very long time. You remember what I told you yesterday right?" Maria asked.

"Yeah" Kate nodded. "He's in prison. The place for bad people, right?" Maria nodded. She had tried to explain it to the girls but it had never really grasped the concept.

"He wont ever hurt you again, okay? Now go to sleep."

Three hours later Maria woke to the sound of Lexi crying. Both girls were still asleep. Kate had just fallen back asleep an hour ago. Maria went to get Lexi and setteled her in the full size bed between herself and Kate. Maria patted her pack and sang to her in a low voice.

There's a little bird

Somebody sent down to the Earth

To live on the wind

Blowing on the wind

And she sleeps on the wind

This little bird somebody sent

Light and fragile

And feather sky blue

Thin and graceful

Sun shining through

She flies so high up in the sky

Way out of reach of human eyes

Light and fragile

She's feathered sky blue

Thin and graceful

The sun shining through

And the only time

That she touches the ground

Is when that little bird

Little bird

Is when that little bird

Little bird

Is when that little bird dies

Maria drifted back to sleep about the same time that Lexi did. And for the first time in a long tome she slept peaceful in a dreamless bliss. The only thought that came to mind as she drifted off was that she was Home. Totally and completely home. It felt as if she had been working the last seven years trying to make it back here, only she didn't know where here was until a minute ago. Roswell, New Mexico was and always would be Home.

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Note: I don't know where the song came from. It is a lullaby my mom used to sing to me and my brother when we were little.

The Next chapter will be longer, I promise.

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